Professor Sexton's class is one that is fundamentally fascinating and is one that is appealing for not only sociology majors or adherents, but of anyone one whom desires the history and realities that surround religion and its impacts throughout time.

I was very satisfied with the course and my favourite part was the research paper of which was an ethnographic paper of a religion of our choice in relation to sustainability. That in itself was an interesting correlation of topics and made one choose something they may have already had knowledge of or allowed one to gain knowledge of.

In overall class structure, it was a very broad and this was shown with the differing topics of every week, differing three books throughout the quarter, and with the numerous guest speakers that came to class on significant bases.

Nevertheless, this course was one that is fascinating and should be good for a person that indeed enjoys theology in its many vast forms. But, it is a course that does require individual motive towards reading and its topics, however with the professor and the TA's; such should be of no problem as they were all very accommodating and involved in my personal experience throughout the whole quarter and that in itself makes the professor a rare as well as exceptional character whom really is striving for his students academic, professional , and even personal successes.

This class is very interesting and Sexton is a great professor. There is a research based paper due at the end of the quarter but it is easy to complete with a few visits to a local religious institution. Overall great class

This was my second time taking a class with Dr. Sexton, and I have to say, I genuinely think he’s my favorite professor I’ve had at UCLA. This is a big statement considering I’m not the biggest fan of school as a whole. While his courses may not be the easiest, he makes the learning experience genuinely enjoyable and meaningful. Even though I couldn’t attend every lecture, the ones I did go to were always engaging—he really knows how to engage with students. He is very personable and understanding. This may not mean much to others, but for him to recognize and remember me just goes to show how genuine he is.

What sets Dr. Sexton apart is how much he truly cares about his students and their growth. There were no exams besides the final, which reflects his belief that education should be more than just testing. He emphasized that the real value of the course lies in the research and hands-on experience we gain. One highlight was our quarter-long research project at a religious institution—a much more enriching experience than taking midterms, in my opinion.

It’s worth noting that there are several books to read throughout the course. Some of them can be a bit challenging, but they’re still genuinely interesting and thought-provoking reads that add a lot of depth to the material. And it’s worth nothing that all courses shouldn’t be super easy if you genuinely value learning.

He also offered extra credit opportunities that were tied to real learning experiences, rather than just busy work. Overall, I’d highly recommend Dr. Sexton to anyone who is looking to actually learn and grow.

I really enjoyed this class. I find the lectures to be not super structured but very engaging. The final isn't too bad if you attend lectures. The reading workload is pretty heavy but I found the readings to be so impactful and relevant. The research project is a lot of work but there's a lot of freedom with it. I recommend picking a topic you're interested in because that makes it more enjoyable. I also recommend going to office hours. He is a very supportive and understanding professor. Overall, I'm very grateful for his classes. It has was pretty difficult for me on a spiritual and emotional level (I have a very negative experience with religion) but it provided me the opportunity to work through a lot and that meant a lot to me. I also took his soc of crime class in the fall and I am taking environmental soc in the spring. His classes haven't been easy but they've definitely been worth it. They get me thinking and I feel like I have learned a lot. The more you put in, the more you'll get out. If you're here to learn and are spiritually tapped in, I highly recommend his classes.

I took Soc 121 with Professor Sexton, and while he was nice and engaged in good conversations during office hours, the class structure and grading process were incredibly frustrating. There is no rubric or clear grading criteria—TAs grade based on how they feel rather than effort or completion. I lost random points on every assignment without any explanation, even after emailing both the professor and TA. I also met with the professor twice in office hours to clarify what I was missing, but I never received clear feedback or reassurance.

The biggest part of the class is an 8-week ethnographic project (40% of your grade), which can be a paper or a video and can be done with a partner. You're expected to do multiple visits to a congregation and submit two sets of field notes, but again, there's no grading rubric, so you have no idea how you’ll be graded. The final was also unpredictable—we were given six questions a week before and had to answer one at random in person, with only one minute to respond. No rubric, no expectations, just vibes.

The workload is manageable—you read three books and write 800-word summaries (again, with no grading criteria). Lectures are boring but not unbearable. Overall, the class isn’t the worst, but the lack of transparency in grading makes it really frustrating. I wouldn’t recommend this as a random sociology elective unless you’re okay with uncertainty and arbitrary grading.

I highly recommend not to take this class. The workload is crazy, the research paper is beyond difficult and he's not clear on what he wants, at least pretend to be, but change his mind while grading it. Don't argue with him, he'll kindly ignore and blindly trust their Ta. Such a bummer!

Please take Dr. Sexton!! He is not only an amazing Professor, but he is extremely empathetic. Last quarter was the hardest quarter of my life due to personal circumstances. Dr. Sexton was incredibly supportive and understanding. He truly cares about the success of his students! This course is also very engaging. You will read three short novels and engage in a discussion via canvas. There is a research project, but it is very manageable. The final exam consists of an essay question which is dependent upon the class lectures.

Professor Sexton is a really good professor and he really cares about his students. Especially with everything going on during this quarter he was very accommodating and showed support towards his students. This class requires you to read three books, all of which I found interesting and I'm not much of a reader myself, you then have to write an 800-900 word analysis about those books, and you are also required to submit two rounds of field notes which support your research paper or presentation you have to submit by the end of the quarter. The final was taken in a blue book and he displayed three questions on the board for you to answer in an essay format. His lectures could be more engaging, clearer, and straight to the point, I attended all of them and I really had to study hard for the final because I didn't catch some of the main points because I would often zone out. However, if you put your full concentration into lecture you should be fine. His lectures are not recorded but he posts sides. You should still attend lecture though because the slides are not helpful on their own. This class seems like a lot of work but it is graded reasonably and I believe it makes you a better sociologist.

Out of the three classes I have taken from Professor Sexton, this one was my favorite. Lectures posited well-supported arguments on the forefront of the field of religion. I believe that these arguments are especially relevant to anyone who practices or is even considering practicing. Even for agnostic people this class offers value via important historical information and the ways in which religion affects the secular world. The core of this course is the research project, this is the closest experience to grad school research in the soc field that I have seen thus far at UCLA. Sourcing data from your own research and exclusively peer-reviewed sources gives the effect of progressing the field of sociology using your own faculties.

This class consisted of a quarter-long ethnographic research project (short 5 page paper OR 8-10 presentation), 3 2-page book reports, and a bluebook final on lecture content. The grading was extremely reasonable and the professor was extremely understanding with extension requests.

Highly recommend to anyone interested!

I took prison religion with Sexton in Winter 24'. The class isn't listed, honestly, the class was a major waste of time. The topic isn't nuanced enough for 10 weeks and attendance is mandatory. He also will take it very personally if you miss class or don't remember the material. He grades very harshly and is often rude. If you disagree with a grade he gave he simply does not care. If you want to struggle and be unhappy for a whole quarter take this class otherwise don't there are many kinder professors here at UCLA.